The invention is generally directed to an integrated package and funnel constructed from corrugated cardboard or similar sheet material and in particular to a container adapted to hold a series of cans or bottles of motor oil and a funnel integrally formed in the container to be removed and utilized in connection with pouring out the oil into a car's crank case.
In the past people have purchased motor oil to add more oil as necessary to their cars and trucks and to perform oil changes as needed. Generally, the oil comes in cans or bottles and must be then poured into a small opening in the crank case. Generally, the opening is not found in a convenient spot to pour the motor oil. Rather, the person pouring the oil must lean over the opened hood of the car or truck and then pour from the can or bottle. Particularly with respect to cans, bottles, soft pack plastic containers or other motor oil lubricant containers, common forms of transporting motor oil, there is a high likelihood of spillage and difficulty in getting the motor oil into the opening in the crank case. When the person is changing the oil and must pour in four or five or even six quarts of motor oil, the spillage and messiness problem associated with pouring is particularly troublesome.
Generally, people have had to purchase funnels, generally made out of plastic or metal. While this solves the problem of pouring, so that the oil does not spill and drip other than where it is supposed to go, this requires the user to purchase and then retain the funnel. The metal or plastic funnels that are in use present other problems. Because of the viscosity of the oil some portion of the oil sticks to the funnels for a considerable period of time and, in practice, the funnels must be stored carefully in an upright position, generally in another container so that the oil does not drip onto the floor or whatever it rests on. Also, while people often keep one or more quarts of oil in their car in the event of emergencies on the road, they generally do not have their funnels with them as the funnels tend to soil the trunk or other areas of the car in which they are stored.
Other approaches to this problem have been to create openings for valves in the cans or to provide long neck bottles for the motor oil. While these approaches have been useful they add substantially to the cost of packaging and delivery of the oil, thereby unduly increasing the expense to the consumer and fail to work as well as funnels. Also, these other adaptions make recycling of the motor oil container more expensive and difficult.
Accordingly there is a need for an improved package and container including an integrated funnel system for motor oil cans and bottles which provides the benefit of simplifying motor oil addition and changing without the need for a separate funnel and without the need to store a funnel apart from the motor oil.